After a nail-biting 2011 World TeamTennis Roster Draft, the Washington Kastles have assembled an exciting team of experienced, world class players to join Venus & Serena Williams and Sam Querrey this July.
Feeling the need to upgrade the women's singles spot on the team in order to compete for a Championship, the Kastles left team stars Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs unprotected going into the draft in a calculated bet that they could be picked up with later and acquired picks. With their freed up first pick, the Kastles acquired rising Russian Arina Rodionova who the team and several other teams had identified as one of the two available women singles players clearly above the rest of the pack. Over a nerve racking set of picks, the other teams drafted as the Kastles had hoped and 2009 WTT MVP Paes was still available once the draft returned to the team in the second round. Not wanting to take any chances, the Kastles swapped their fourth round pick and financial considerations for the Sacramento Capitals high third round pick which they used to bring back 2008 WTT MVP Stubbs. With their own third round pick, the Kastles had protected 2010 Rookie of the Year Bobby Reynolds who rounds out the core of a team that is well-positioned to compete for the team's second WTT Championship in three years.
In total, the seven members of the Washington Kastles have combined to win 66 Grand Slam titles in 96 finals.
Here is a closer look at Washington's four roster draft picks.
Leander Paes - Legendary Indian pro Leander Paes is back for his third season with Washington and is currently ranked 7th in the world. The dynamic doubles star secured the WTT Male Most Valuable Player award in 2009 after leading the Kastles to the league championship. Now playing in his 21st season on tour, Paes is a proven fixture at the top of the doubles rankings. In all, Paes has won 45 ATP doubles titles, including at least one championship in each of the last 15 years.
He reunited with countryman Mahesh Bhupathi at the start of the 2011 season to great success, winning the Aircel Channai Open before reaching the Australian Open final. Highly regarded for his quick reflexes and spectacular net play, Paes has won six major titles in men's doubles and six more in mixed. He is one major shy of a career Grand Slam in both disciplines, missing only the Australian Open men's doubles title and the French Open mixed doubles championship.
Having represented India at the Olympics five times, Paes has competed at more Olympic Games than any other Asian in history. He carried the Indian flag during the opening ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Olympics after winning the bronze medal in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Paes' father, Vece, and mother, Jennifer, represented India in field hockey and basketball respectively at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Rennae Stubbs - Like Paes, Rennae Stubbs is back in Washington for a third straight season and is currently ranked 11th in the world. Before helping the Kastles clinch the 2009 WTT title, Stubbs secured the 2008 WTT Female Most Valuable Player award as a member of the Kansas City Explorers.
Stubbs has enjoyed a 26-year career on the WTA Tour and the fiery Aussie finished 13 straight seasons inside the doubles Top 10. She is playing fewer tournaments this year but has already won 60 tour-level doubles titles, good for 12th all-time. Always loyal to Australia, Stubbs has 28 Fed Cup doubles wins, tied for sixth all-time. She won six Grand Slam titles - four in women's doubles titles and two more in mixed.
The Sydney native called 99 different players her partner, including Hall of Famers Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. Stubbs and longtime teammate Lisa Raymond shared the world No. 1 ranking for three weeks in 2000. With a women's doubles record of 804-355, Stubbs has won more than 69 percent of the matches she played.
Bobby Reynolds - In 2010, Bobby Reynolds emerged as the elite men's singles player in World TeamTennis, leading the Kastles to eight team victories and earning WTT Rookie of the Year honors. A resident of Acworth, Georgia, Reynolds reached career-highs of No. 46 in doubles and No. 63 in singles on the ATP World Tour in 2009. He is tied for second all-time among all men's players with 25 total titles on the USTA Pro Circuit.
Reynolds has won main draw singles matches at each of the four Grand Slams, including third-round appearances at Wimbledon in 2008 and the Australian Open in 2005. He reached the quarterfinals at the 2005 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington D.C., and made quarterfinals in Delray Beach and Indianapolis in 2008. Reynolds has also reached three ATP doubles finals, winning the 2006 US Open Series event in Indianapolis with Andy Roddick.
Before turning pro, Reynolds played three years of college tennis at Vanderbilt University. He finished the 2003 season as the No. 1 ranked player in the nation, having attained All-American honors after leading the Commodores to the NCAA final.
Arina Rodionova - At 21, Arina Rodionova is the youngest member of the 2011 Washington Kastles. Having captured five singles and 12 doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit, the Russian reached career-high rankings of No. 157 in singles and No. 72 in doubles last season. Rodionova won three matches to qualify for her first Grand Slam in singles at the 2011 Australian Open.
She teamed with her older sister Anastasia to reach the doubles final of the WTA Tour event in Kuala Lumpur in February 2010. Earlier that month, Rodionova routed 2010 WTT Finals MVP and current world No. 30 Jarmila Groth 6-0, 6-1 in the final of a $25,000 ITF event in Burnie, Australia.
As a junior, Rodionova peaked at No. 22 in the world and defeated 2009 US Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin on two occasions. Rodionova teamed with countrywoman Evgeniya Rodina to win the 2007 Australian Open junior doubles title.
Visit washingtonkastles.com for team updates and more.
Feeling the need to upgrade the women's singles spot on the team in order to compete for a Championship, the Kastles left team stars Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs unprotected going into the draft in a calculated bet that they could be picked up with later and acquired picks. With their freed up first pick, the Kastles acquired rising Russian Arina Rodionova who the team and several other teams had identified as one of the two available women singles players clearly above the rest of the pack. Over a nerve racking set of picks, the other teams drafted as the Kastles had hoped and 2009 WTT MVP Paes was still available once the draft returned to the team in the second round. Not wanting to take any chances, the Kastles swapped their fourth round pick and financial considerations for the Sacramento Capitals high third round pick which they used to bring back 2008 WTT MVP Stubbs. With their own third round pick, the Kastles had protected 2010 Rookie of the Year Bobby Reynolds who rounds out the core of a team that is well-positioned to compete for the team's second WTT Championship in three years.
In total, the seven members of the Washington Kastles have combined to win 66 Grand Slam titles in 96 finals.
Here is a closer look at Washington's four roster draft picks.
Leander Paes - Legendary Indian pro Leander Paes is back for his third season with Washington and is currently ranked 7th in the world. The dynamic doubles star secured the WTT Male Most Valuable Player award in 2009 after leading the Kastles to the league championship. Now playing in his 21st season on tour, Paes is a proven fixture at the top of the doubles rankings. In all, Paes has won 45 ATP doubles titles, including at least one championship in each of the last 15 years.
He reunited with countryman Mahesh Bhupathi at the start of the 2011 season to great success, winning the Aircel Channai Open before reaching the Australian Open final. Highly regarded for his quick reflexes and spectacular net play, Paes has won six major titles in men's doubles and six more in mixed. He is one major shy of a career Grand Slam in both disciplines, missing only the Australian Open men's doubles title and the French Open mixed doubles championship.
Having represented India at the Olympics five times, Paes has competed at more Olympic Games than any other Asian in history. He carried the Indian flag during the opening ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Olympics after winning the bronze medal in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Paes' father, Vece, and mother, Jennifer, represented India in field hockey and basketball respectively at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Rennae Stubbs - Like Paes, Rennae Stubbs is back in Washington for a third straight season and is currently ranked 11th in the world. Before helping the Kastles clinch the 2009 WTT title, Stubbs secured the 2008 WTT Female Most Valuable Player award as a member of the Kansas City Explorers.
Stubbs has enjoyed a 26-year career on the WTA Tour and the fiery Aussie finished 13 straight seasons inside the doubles Top 10. She is playing fewer tournaments this year but has already won 60 tour-level doubles titles, good for 12th all-time. Always loyal to Australia, Stubbs has 28 Fed Cup doubles wins, tied for sixth all-time. She won six Grand Slam titles - four in women's doubles titles and two more in mixed.
The Sydney native called 99 different players her partner, including Hall of Famers Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. Stubbs and longtime teammate Lisa Raymond shared the world No. 1 ranking for three weeks in 2000. With a women's doubles record of 804-355, Stubbs has won more than 69 percent of the matches she played.
Bobby Reynolds - In 2010, Bobby Reynolds emerged as the elite men's singles player in World TeamTennis, leading the Kastles to eight team victories and earning WTT Rookie of the Year honors. A resident of Acworth, Georgia, Reynolds reached career-highs of No. 46 in doubles and No. 63 in singles on the ATP World Tour in 2009. He is tied for second all-time among all men's players with 25 total titles on the USTA Pro Circuit.
Reynolds has won main draw singles matches at each of the four Grand Slams, including third-round appearances at Wimbledon in 2008 and the Australian Open in 2005. He reached the quarterfinals at the 2005 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington D.C., and made quarterfinals in Delray Beach and Indianapolis in 2008. Reynolds has also reached three ATP doubles finals, winning the 2006 US Open Series event in Indianapolis with Andy Roddick.
Before turning pro, Reynolds played three years of college tennis at Vanderbilt University. He finished the 2003 season as the No. 1 ranked player in the nation, having attained All-American honors after leading the Commodores to the NCAA final.
Arina Rodionova - At 21, Arina Rodionova is the youngest member of the 2011 Washington Kastles. Having captured five singles and 12 doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit, the Russian reached career-high rankings of No. 157 in singles and No. 72 in doubles last season. Rodionova won three matches to qualify for her first Grand Slam in singles at the 2011 Australian Open.
She teamed with her older sister Anastasia to reach the doubles final of the WTA Tour event in Kuala Lumpur in February 2010. Earlier that month, Rodionova routed 2010 WTT Finals MVP and current world No. 30 Jarmila Groth 6-0, 6-1 in the final of a $25,000 ITF event in Burnie, Australia.
As a junior, Rodionova peaked at No. 22 in the world and defeated 2009 US Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin on two occasions. Rodionova teamed with countrywoman Evgeniya Rodina to win the 2007 Australian Open junior doubles title.
Visit washingtonkastles.com for team updates and more.
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